Plumbing questions in Ashbourne

Up to €150 to call out on a weekday and €50–€130 an hour after that. Out of hours, the call-out is €100–€250. A dripping tap is €40–€150, a blocked drain €80–€250.

Usually within one working day, and sooner for an emergency: pick Today in the form. We don't promise a time we can't keep.

Gas work goes only to a Registered Gas Installer (RGI). It's the law in Ireland. Ask to see the RGI ID card, which has a photo and a registration number.

Ask the plumber for their guarantee on the work and on any parts before you agree the price. New parts carry the maker's warranty.

One local plumber who covers Ashbourne. We pass your request to them only, not to a list. They ring you, agree the price, and do the job.

No. Sending the form is free. You pay the plumber for the job, at the price you agree with them.

Turn the water off at the stopcock, usually under the kitchen sink, and switch off electrics near the water. Then send the job and pick Today.

€50–€130 an hour in normal working hours, €90–€260 out of hours. Most bill the first hour in full.

Up to €150 on a weekday, €100–€250 in the evening or at the weekend. Some plumbers charge no call-out and bill from the first hour.

Most include it. Some add 13.5% on top. Ask before you agree the price.

For a job with a clear end, like a new tap or toilet, a fixed price is easier to compare. For a leak that has to be found, an hourly rate is fairer to both of you.

In most houses it is under the kitchen sink on the incoming mains pipe, or in the utility room or hot press. The outside boundary stopcock is under a small cover in the footpath or driveway.

Usually the immersion thermostat inside the cap has tripped or failed, or the heating element itself has burnt out due to limescale. Replacing the thermostat is cheaper than replacing the whole element.

Cold at the top means trapped air, which bleeding the radiator fixes. Cold at the bottom means black iron-oxide sludge has settled in the radiator and pipework, which needs flushing and a magnetic filter.

Most Irish houses feed hot water from a cold storage tank in the attic, which gives low gravity head upstairs. A blocked tap aerator, airlock or tired shower pump can also drop the flow.

Only a Registered Gas Installer (RGI) can legally work on a natural gas or LPG boiler in Ireland. Always ask to see their RGI photo card.